The start of 2025 was marked by troubling events in Brazilian municipal politics. Of the 5,569 cities in the country, 24 candidates elected in October 2024 were unable to take office this January 1st. Between deaths, arrests and judicial bans, the situation highlights the challenges facing local governance in Brazil.
Three elected mayors, representing the cities ofArroio dos Ratos (RS), Augusto Pestana (RS) et Cabreúva (SP), died of natural causes after their election. In each of these cases, their vice mayors took the reins in accordance with the law.
However, the situation is much more complex in the other 21 municipalities. These elected officials were not authorized to take office due to judicial decisions or from ongoing criminal proceedings.
Emblematic cases: Santa Quitéria and Choró
HAS Santa Quitéria (CE), José Braga Barrozo (PSB) was arrested a few hours before his inauguration. The accusations are serious: he is suspected of having collaborated with a criminal organization who would have supported his electoral campaign. The presidency of the town hall was temporarily entrusted to the president of the municipal chamber.
A similar situation occurred in Choró (CE), where Bebeto Queiroz (PSB) saw his taking office suspended. Wanted by the police, he is accused of electoral crimes and remains on the run. Here again, the president of the municipal council acts in the interim.
Legal and administrative consequences
In these cases of impediment, the regulations provide that the president of the municipal chamber temporarily assumes the function of mayor. He remains in office until the Electoral justice decides definitively on the election or decides to call a new vote. This process may result in administrative instability in the municipalities concerned.
Figures that call attention to
The political parties most affected by these incidents include groups of all sizes, but cases have been reported in cities administered by influential parties such as the PSB, the PP and the PSD. Furthermore, the PSD became, from this year, the party with the greatest number of mayors in office, ahead of the MDB for the first time in 20 years.
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A challenge for local democracy
These events highlight persistent weaknesses in the Brazilian electoral system, particularly in terms of transparency and of background checks of candidates. They also raise questions about the growing influence of organized crime in certain territories.
Brazil faces a urgent challenge: ensuring fair and secure elections while strengthening trust in political institutions. These incidents, although worrying, could serve as a catalyst for reforms aimed at cleaning up the political and administrative landscape of the country.